Giroux not concussed, feeling 'really fine'

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Flyers fans can exhale.
 
Claude Giroux is feeling “really fine,” and as of now, is not considered concussed.
 
That comes from his agent, Pat Brisson, who talked to CSNPhilly.com late Wednesday night.
 
“There is nothing wrong here, Claude is doing great,” Brisson said from his office in Los Angeles.
 
“I don’t speak lightly. I’m not one of those who would speak from one side of my mouth.”
 
Giroux has been undergoing neck treatment outside Altanta since Monday at the Carrick Institute at Life University in Marietta, Ga.
 
The Flyers center is under the care of noted neurologist Ted Carrick, who worked with Sidney Crosby for about a year, following multiple concussions.
 
Carrick, whose specialty is chiropractic neurology, has also worked with fellow NHL players Jonathan Toews and Guillaume Latendresse.
 
Two weeks ago, Giroux suffered a hit to the head playing in Germany for Eisbaren Berlin against Krefeld.
 
“He got a little nervous and didn’t want to push it,” Brisson said.
 
Brisson spoke to Berlin general manager Peter Lee, who feared that Giroux might be concussed. Lee told the Ottawa Sun last week that Giroux didn’t “feel right” after the hit.
 
Brisson said tonight that he called Lee immediately when hearing from Giroux.
 
“Claude called me the night he got hurt, I talked to Peter Lee and I asked him [for Claude] to take a break and after what happened to him [last season in Philadelphia],” Brisson said.
 
“I know so much about neck and head injuries now, I realized how much the neck is important. Dr. Carrick is a great doctor who sees a lot of our players.”
 
Brisson said he wanted Giroux immediately evaluated in the U.S.
 
Carrick, however, is in Atlanta just one week out of every month.
 
“I told Peter I wanted to bring Claude here to see Carrick,” Brisson said. “I trust Carrick ... I wanted him to do work with Carrick. I have had a lot of players go through Carrick.
 
“If it weren’t for Carrick, I don’t know about Sidney whether he’d be ... 100 percent. I got players going back and forth [to him].
 
“Not medication, just exercises and testing. I talked to Claude [on Tuesday] and he’s happy and feeling great.”
 
Brisson said he expects a complete report from Carrick either Thursday or Friday. A Flyers source said the club is aware of Carrick's treatments, but because of the lockout can't contact the player directly.
 
“There is nothing serious here,” Brisson insisted. “This is more precaution. I like when our players go to Carrick.
 
“Even when they are not hurt, they learn, it’s so good for them to be in this system with awareness. ... In the next day or so I hope to have a full report. I am not alarmed.”
 
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told CSNPhilly.com last week all he knew was that Giroux was returning for “evaluation and precaution” for what was “diagnosed” as a minor neck injury.
 
Giroux’s last official concussion came Dec. 10, 2011 against Tampa Bay when teammate Wayne Simmonds accidentally clipped him in the back of the head.
 
Giroux missed 10 days and four games as a result of that collision.
 
Given that prior injury, Brisson said, prompted him to make sure Giroux had a full evaluation by Carrick now.
 
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net